Blog

Gulu City, March 29, 2026 — Farmers in Northern Uganda have been urged to embrace research-driven agricultural technologies as a pathway to increased productivity and household incomes.

According to Frank Mugabi, Head of Communications at the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), research-driven agricultural technologies provide farmers with proven, high-yielding, and climate-resilient solutions that reduce risks, lower production costs, and increase output and quality, ultimately translating into higher productivity and improved household incomes.

“When farmers adopt research-driven technologies, they move from guesswork to precision thereby producing more, losing less, and earning better from every acre they cultivate.” Mugabi said.

He made the remarks while addressing the media at the 5th Northern Uganda Agricultural Show underway at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu City on Sunday.

The show, which opened on March 26 and will run until March 30, 2026, has brought together farmers, researchers, agribusiness players, and development partners in a shared effort to advance agricultural transformation in the region.

NARO is a key participant at the exhibition, with its institutes including the National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), the National Coffee Resources Research Institute (NaCORI), and the Ngetta and Abi Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institutes (ZARDIs) showcasing a range of innovations tailored to Northern Uganda’s farming systems.

At the NARO exhibition booth, visitors are engaging with technologies in bee products, improved pasture systems, resilient seed systems, shea nut value addition, agro-processing, and coffee production suited to the region.

Beyond exhibitions, NARO scientists are conducting practical training sessions aimed at equipping farmers and agripreneurs with hands-on skills to adopt and benefit from these innovations. The sessions are designed to ensure that research outputs translate into real impact at farm level.

Shea value addition has emerged as a key highlight at the show, reflecting its economic significance in Northern Uganda, where the shea tree is widely abundant. Researchers are demonstrating improved processing techniques to enhance product quality and market value, opening up new income opportunities, particularly for women and youth.

Coffee is also taking center stage at the exhibition, underscoring its growing role as a leading income earner for Ugandan farmers. Once largely associated with Central and Western regions, coffee is now being actively promoted in Northern Uganda as a viable commercial enterprise. Through NaCORI, NARO is showcasing improved varieties and climate-suitable agronomic practices, while training farmers on crop establishment, pest and disease control, and post-harvest management to ensure quality and competitiveness.

Mugabi emphasized the need for farmers to actively engage with research institutions nearest to them across the country.

“We call upon farmers across Northern Uganda to take full advantage of platforms like this to learn, adopt, and apply proven technologies. Research is a launchpad for agricultural transformation but farmers have to embrace these innovations and turn them into productive enterprises that improve livelihoods.” He noted.

Mugabi further re-echoed the importance of value addition as a key driver of higher farmer incomes, noting that NARO has developed a wide range of prototype value-added products from various agricultural commodities that farmers can replicate. He emphasized that value addition not only increases earnings but also reduces post-harvest losses and improves livelihoods.

Using shea nut as an example, he highlighted its strong global demand due to its unique skincare properties, yet warned that the tree, abundant in Northern Uganda, is increasingly under threat from indiscriminate cutting.

“Every time you cut down a shea nut tree, you cut down potential income,” he noted, adding that Ngetta ZARDI in Lira City is actively conducting research to reduce the time it takes for shea trees to mature and begin yielding. He described the shea tree as a “treasure that must be jealously protected,” adding that all this information is readily available to showgoers visiting the NARO exhibition stalls.

The commended the agricultural show organisers for reinforcing the importance of research, innovation, and farmer engagement in addressing food security, building climate resilience, and driving sustainable agricultural development in the region.

Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at Submit an Article

The Attorney General (AG) of Uganda has in a lengthy opinion advised against appealing the Constitutional Court decision that struck down the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022 over procedural breaches. In his letter to several government departments, the AG also guided that the law should be sent back to Parliament for fresh enactment.

I personally have a problem with this guidance of sending the law back to parliament. It is clear we have not learnt anything from history. Just last year, the Supreme Court nullified sections of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) Act on subjecting civilians to trials before the Court Martial. Within a short time, the law was hurriedly reviewed and the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (Amendment) Act, 2025 was passed.

As of today, a number of petitions are pending in the Constitutional Court against the amended UPDF Act for having violated key provisions of the Constitution by reinstating the jurisdiction of the Army Court Martial to try civilians under sections 117A clauses 29 and 30) and Clause 82, a practice that was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

My fear is that history could repeat itself through the Computer Misuse Act which will soon be tabled before Parliament. The AG’s guidance follows last week’s ruling in consolidated Constitutional Petitions No. 34, 37 and 42 of 2022, where the Court quashed some sections of the Act and section 162 of the Penal Code Act on criminal libel.

In its ruling, the Constitutional Court did not address its mind to the merits of the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022, the focus was on the allegation that the legislation was passed without quorum. This therefore means that the temptation to return the amendment as it could easily blind the legislators to simply pay more attention to the issue of quorum.

For instance, sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act 2022 were not tailored to cure any mischief in the existing legislations. Above all, many of these sections are inconsistent with of Articles 2, 28(12), 29(1)(a) and (b), 40(2), and 41 of the 1995 Constitution to the extent that they make every social media user a potential criminal. These will definitely not survive the scrutiny of court.

The opinion also addressed the issue of the permanent injunction restraining government agencies from enforcing any of the affected provisions; with the implication that all ongoing criminal proceedings based on the nullified provisions should be halted. The AG also guided that no arrests should be made, basing on the impugned provisions.

I have been flipping through the books of law to identify a provision by which a judicial officer can be arrested, fined, or committed to civil prison for contempt of court if they willfully disobey lawful orders made by any court above their hierarchy. I am aware that while judicial officers have immunity for actions taken in good faith, deliberate defiance of higher court orders, such as injunctions can constitutes contempt at individual level.

Now that the AG has made it clear that he does not intend to appeal the decision, why are the lower courts still holding accused persons on remand aware that the Court actually issued a permanent injunction against enforcing the nullified sections of the Act. Why is Male Mabirizi who was charged under Section 26 and 28 of the impugned Act still on remand?

This week, Lawyers representing Lawyer Male Mabirizi were ordered by the Chief Magistrates Court of Buganda Road to obtain a certified copy of the Constitutional Court decision which the lawyers complied with. Upon being presented with evidence of the ruling, the Magistrate again demanded for a decree as a way of buying time.

In a statement by the Uganda Law Society, it was noted that the conduct of the trial Magistrate at Buganda Road Court in Criminal Case No. 52 of 2026 was not in tandem with what is expected of a judicial officer. The society argued that the circumstances suggest the involvement of an invisible hand, turning the court into “an instrument of personal vendetta against Male Mabirizi rather superintending over the tenets of justice.

The society warned that such actions erode public confidence in the judiciary and threaten constitutional freedoms. It called for immediate intervention, urging the Chief Registrar and Principal Judge to intervene administratively and bring the Magistrate to order for delaying justice and keeping the accused person in remand when the cases abated.

Be reminded that it is sections 11, 23, 26, 27, 28 and 29 of the Computer Misuse Act that were nullified. The rest of the Act remained intact and can be enforced as such. Instead, it is the Computer Misuse Amendment Act, 2022 that was nullified in its entirety given that it was passed by parliament without the constitutional mandatory quorum.

The opinion of the AG was just fine until he mentioned that individuals already convicted under those provisions and currently serving sentences are not affected by the court’s decision. Indeed, the Constitutional Court did not state whether or not its decision would operate retrospectively with the effect of overturning convictions already secured. However, the AG should be alive to the fact that even those convictions can be reversed.

I am aware that a decision of a court particularly a precedent-setting ruling from the Constitutional Court or Supreme Court can operate retrospectively to overturn convictions already secured more so where the law under which the person was convicted is declared unconstitutional or fundamentally flawed. It is only newly enacted laws that do not operate in a backward manner, court decisions do.

This means that if a person is convicted under a law that is subsequently found to have been passed illegally or unconstitutionally, the conviction is considered null and void, and the person is entitled to legal remedies, including compensation or potential release and the reversal of the conviction. One of such situations is where a law if found to have been passed without complying with proper procedures such as a lack of a quorum in Parliament.

This therefore means that where a person was convicted under a law that is later found to have been void ab initio (invalid from the beginning), the law is treated as if it never existed hence removing the legal basis for the conviction. The affected person has the right to have their conviction vacated and their sentence terminated, though this is rarely automatic especially in a backward setting like Uganda.

The process is generally not self-executing as we would have wished. The individual or their counsel must actively challenge the conviction in court and once the conviction is vacated, the person must go through the necessary steps to ensure his/her file is cleared of the criminal record that comes with a conviction.

I have listened to argument that a conviction arising out of a nullified law should stand because it was the prevailing law at the time. This argument is based on the legal principle of finality and the general rule against retrospective application of laws. This view cannot however be invoked when dealing with decisions arising out of a Constitutional Court decision that nullified sections of the Computer Misuse Act, Section 162 of the Penal Code Act and the entire Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022.

Wadada Rogers is a commentator on political, legal and social issues. wadroger@yahoo.ca

Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at Submit an Article

The Commissioner of the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps (NSPC), Ms. Hellen Seku, has called on students to embrace patriotism, discipline, and hard work as key pillars for national development.

While passing out 2,784 students who underwent a patriotism development course at Kitebi Secondary School on Friday 27th, March, 2026, Ms. Seku also urged learners to support government programs regardless of their political affiliations. She emphasized that national progress depends on collective responsibility rather than political divisions.

She also challenged the school’s Patriotism Club to go beyond theory and actively innovate products that can benefit their communities.

Speaking on professionalism and academic excellence, Ms. Seku warned students against corruption and the temptation to seek shortcuts to success. She encouraged them to focus on their studies and make meaningful contributions to the country.

“Every citizen has a duty to serve the nation with integrity,” she said, adding that students must avoid wasting resources and their parents’ hard-earned money.

Seku criticized negative attitudes toward education, citing individuals who shun schooling as examples to avoid.

On national values, Seku highlighted the government’s role in ensuring security through the training of soldiers and provision of resources. She noted that patriotism involves loyalty to Uganda and a commitment to protect it.

“There is no other Uganda,” she said, stressing that success in the country is achieved through hard work and wisdom.

She further emphasized unity and peace, crediting the NRM government for stabilizing the country.

Students were also encouraged to prioritize national identity over tribal differences and to uphold the spirit of being each other’s keeper.

On cultural identity, Ms. Seku urged learners to take pride in their local languages, such as Lusoga, and not feel ashamed to speak them.

On the issue of economic transformation, Ms. Seku outlined four key sectors critical to job creation and wealth generation:- commercial agriculture, industrialization, services, and ICT.

She encouraged a shift from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture, as well as value addition through industrialization to reduce reliance on exporting raw materials.

Ms. Seku also described the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) as a “productive force” contributing to national development through initiatives such as Luwero Industries.

She concluded by emphasizing that peace and security remain the foundation for investment and sustainable development, urging students to play their role in building a united and prosperous Uganda.

Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at Submit an Article

After a quiet build-up that left fans curious and expectant, Iryn Namubiru has stepped back into the spotlight with a statement. She’s ready, and she means it.

Released yesterday, March 27, 2026, “I’m Ready” is not just another album drop; it feels like a personal declaration wrapped in melody. The eight-track project carries the emotional weight and vocal richness that have long defined Iryn, but this time, there’s a noticeable shift, more daring, more open, and deeply in tune with the now.

From the very first listen, the album pulls you into a soundscape where soulful Afro-pop meets contemporary rhythm. The standout single “Body” leads the charge with smooth, infectious energy, while tracks like “Binuma” and “Amaaso” dig deeper, touching on vulnerability and emotional honesty. Then come songs like “Ton Bebe” and “Stammer,” which lighten the mood with playful yet polished delivery.

The title track “I’m Ready” sits at the heart of it all, a quiet but powerful affirmation that feels less like a song and more like a conversation with oneself.

By the time you reach “Tokigeza” and “Tulindaki!,” the album has fully unfolded into a journey of resilience, love, and rediscovery.

What makes this project stand out isn’t just the sound; it’s the feeling. There’s a maturity in how Iryn expresses herself, a sense that she’s not trying to prove anything anymore. She’s simply telling her story on her own terms.

For longtime fans, this album feels like reconnecting with an old friend who has grown wiser and bolder. For new listeners, it’s a warm, inviting entry into the world of an artist who knows exactly who she is.

After more than a decade away from the solo concert stage in Kampala, Levixone is ready to return in a big and deeply personal way.

The gospel star, born Sam Lucas Lubyogo, has announced his upcoming concert dubbed “A One-Time Experience,” slated for November 8, 2026, at Kampala Serena Hotel.

For longtime fans, this isn’t just another show; it’s a full-circle moment. Levixone had a concert in 2024 in Mbarara, but his major solo concert was last held back in 2012 at Sheraton Kampala Hotel, a breakthrough event that helped cement his place in Uganda’s gospel music scene. Since then, he has steadily grown his sound, his message, and his audience, becoming one of the most recognizable voices in the genre.

In an announcement shared on his social media, Levixone reflected on his journey, crediting God’s faithfulness “year after year, stage after stage.”

That spiritual undertone is expected to define the upcoming concert, making it more than entertainment but an experience rooted in gratitude, growth, and purpose.

The choice of venue also speaks volumes. Known for hosting high-end and memorable events, the Kampala Serena Hotel sets the tone for what fans can expect: a polished, intimate, yet powerful night of music and worship.

Peter Okoye, professionally known as Mr. P, has made it clear that there will be no return of P-Square, as he responded directly to fans who keep asking for a reunion.

The singer reacted after a fan suggested bringing the duo back, and his response left no room for speculation.

Can we just have Psquare back?

Not with me! Done and dusted.

The conversation soon escalated when another user blamed the group’s separation for their current struggles.

Peter dismissed the claim and reminded critics to respect personal decisions and accept that change is part of life.

Not your flop! Learn to respect people’s decisions! Nothing lasts forever! Change is constant.

Long running family disputes, including disagreements over management, finances, and tensions involving their elder brother Jude Okoye, drove P-Square’s split.

After splitting in 2017 and reuniting in 2021, the brothers eventually parted ways again and have since focused on their individual careers.

Amid concerns about the future of Afrobeats, 2Face has stepped in with a clear message.

The veteran Nigerian singer rejected suggestions that the genre could decline globally, saying there is no cause for concern.

He explained that the steady rise of young artistes continues to drive the sound forward and keep it relevant.

Speaking on Wazobia FM Lagos, he said the new generation is already proving its strength.

Afrobeats can never die. The present crop of artistes have special flows. I love their styles.

He also praised Fola’s remake of “If Love Is A Crime,” describing it as smooth and impressive.

I thought I was going to marry a lot of the girls I dated. Never in a million years did I think I would be 37 and single.

That is how Jason Derulo summed up his current reality as he opened up about relationships.

The American singer-songwriter and dancer explained that his perspective on marriage has changed over time, shaped by what he has seen in other people’s relationships.

I have seen too much. Married women leaving their spouses on the spot, leaving their men in the club. I have seen everything under the sun.

Those experiences, he said, made him more cautious about commitment.

Before this shift, Derulo believed he would eventually settle down with many of the women he dated.

His own relationships also followed a different path. He dated Jordin Sparks for three years before they split in 2014.

Years later, he welcomed a son with Jena Frumes in 2021, but the relationship ended a few months after their child was born.